Despite regulatory rollbacks, heightened political scrutiny, and persistent inflationary pressure, transportation leaders are continuing to invest in sustainability rather than pulling back, according to new findings from Breakthrough’s 2026 State of Transportation Report.
In fact, both shippers and carriers increasingly view emissions reduction as a practical way to strengthen network resilience, manage cost exposure, and mitigate disruption.
“As tariff policies, energy markets, and regulatory conditions continue to shift, many transportation leaders are navigating an environment where separating meaningful market signals from short-term noise has become more challenging,” says Heather Mueller, chief client strategy officer at Breakthrough. “What we’re seeing in the data is that cost management and sustainability are becoming much more closely intertwined, with sustainability playing a growing role in how leaders manage cost exposure and how they build long-term resilience into their operations.”
Key takeaways:
· 58% of shippers report making progress toward their sustainability goals over the past 12 months, with 21% describing that progress as “exceptiona,l” a 10-point increase compared to 2025.
· Looking ahead, 69% expect to reduce transportation-related emissions in 2026, signaling growing maturity in how sustainability is being embedded into core transportation strategy, including fuel efficiency, network planning, and procurement decisions.
· 91% of transportation leaders across shippers and carriers say their organizations are agile and prepared to navigate future disruptions, which reflects a more disciplined approach to volatility management.
· Tariffs are now the No. 1 economic indicator guiding transportation decision-making, followed by energy prices and regulatory policies, with nearly half of leaders expecting tariffs to disrupt the industry in 2026. These concerns are increasingly tied to broader economic risk, including expectations of a potential recession.
· In response, transportation teams are adjusting how they manage volatility. Rather than relying on constant short-term market signals, leaders are leveraging dynamic strategies and financial discipline to stabilize performance. The most notable changes include greater use of flexible contracts to support adaptability, increased adoption of AI-powered freight optimization solutions, reduced reliance on short-term market insights, and expanded use of fuel hedging strategies to manage price volatility and improve budget certainty.
